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Bavuma sustained the injury in the WTC final during his match-winning 66

Firdose Moonda20-Jun-20257:27

Bavuma: We’ve wiped all doubts with the way that we’ve played

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma has been ruled out of the two-Test series against Zimbabwe, which starts next Saturday. Keshav Maharaj will captain the team in Bavuma’s absence.Bavuma has not recovered from the hamstring strain he suffered during the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia last week and will undergo further scans to determine the extent of the injury.The squad features five uncapped players as South Africa rest several all-format players including Aiden Markram and Kagiso Rabada. Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi is only available for the second Test.Related

• Glimpse into South Africa's future: Young squad set for Zimbabwe challenge

• Raza, Curran and Ngarava out of Zimbabwe vs South Africa Tests

• Brevis, Lhuan-dre Pretorius in SA Test squad for Zimbabwe series

Bavuma, who led South Africa to the WTC title, sustained the injury on the third day of the match. He was on six runs at the time and pulled up while completing a single. He received treatment on field and batted through to tea, where he was advised not to continue batting.After the game, Bavuma revealed that he went against medical advice because he did not want to give himself the option of not being in the middle at a crucial time in the game. In consultation with Markram, who agreed to downscale the tempo of his running between the wickets.
Bavuma resumed his innings and saw South Africa through to the close of play. He finished on 66 as South Africa won by five wickets.South Africa’s next assignments after Zimbabwe, which Bavuma could be part of, are ODIs against Australia in August and England in September. Their next WTC campaign begins against Pakistan in October before a series in India in November. South Africa will not play any home Tests until October 2026, when they will host Australia. Bavuma has indicated he would like to continue playing until the 2027 home ODI World Cup, fitness permitting.This is the third hamstring injury Bavuma has suffered in less than two years. He was injured during the 2023 ODI World Cup and played the semi-final and then again during the Boxing Day Test against India that year. He has also had a series of elbow injuries and plays with a heavily strapped left elbow.South Africa squad: David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Corbin Bosch, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Keshav Maharaj (capt), Kwena Maphaka, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi (second Test only), Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Lesego Senokwane, Prenelan Subrayen, Kyle Verreynne, Codi Yusuf

Gloucestershire’s rearguard falls short despite OIlie Price fifty on final day at Lord’s

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay27-Sep-2025Middlesex 634 for 9 dec (du Plooy 263, Morgan 97, Cracknell 64, Geddes 60, Hollman 55, Singh Dale 5-108) beat Gloucestershire 286 (Bracey 60, Gohar 5-53, Cornwell 4-58) and 281 (Price 61, Roland-Jones 4-47) by an innings and 67 runsToby Roland-Jones claimed four wickets to round off Middlesex’s Rothesay County Championship campaign in winning fashion as they ground down Gloucestershire on the final day at Lord’s.The 37-year-old seamer finished with 4 for 57, ending the campaign as Division Two’s second highest wicket-taker behind Derbyshire’s Luis Reece to dismiss the visitors for 281 in their second innings, despite Ollie Price’s knock of 61. Former Gloucestershire duo Zafar Gohar and Ryan Higgins backed up Roland-Jones with three and two wickets apiece as the Seaxes sealed an innings victory with 22 overs unused.The result meant Middlesex finished fourth in the final table, 11 points short of the promotion places, with Gloucestershire in sixth.Gloucestershire began the final day with nine wickets standing and rarely looked in danger of losing any more during the opening hour and a half where the ball swung, but not enough to cause genuine problems for Price and Joe Phillips.Having dispatched Roland-Jones for two early boundaries and survived Noah Cornwell’s appeal for a catch down the leg side, Price settled into the groove, advancing to his half-century from 91 balls.It was teenage seamer Sebastian Morgan who eventually made the breakthrough, sending down three tight overs before switching to the Pavilion End and gaining immediate reward as he tempted Phillips to drive to gully. Morgan might also have removed Miles Hammond, who edged just short of second slip, but the left-hander quickly gained rhythm with a series of fours as he and Price guided their side through to lunch.However, Price’s return to the crease after the interval lasted one ball – a Roland-Jones delivery that kept low, nipped back and clattered into his off stump and, when James Bracey glanced Higgins behind without scoring, Gloucestershire were suddenly on the back foot again.Having escaped when Morgan, leaping to his right at gully, could not cling onto a difficult chance, Hammond eventually perished to a similar stroke off Higgins to leave the visitors five down.Graeme van Buuren, having taken 17 balls to get off the mark, sprang to life with a trio of boundaries off Roland-Jones and pounced on anything wide outside off stump as he and Jack Taylor added 49.Gohar came on to dismiss his former county captain for 46, with Ben Geddes plunging forward at short leg to take a bat-pad catch, but the Taylor brothers steered their side into the final session.Middlesex’s hopes were lifted again by the new ball, which brought Roland-Jones the wickets of Matt Taylor – and then his elder brother, one short of his half-century – both snapped up at second slip. With Ajeet Singh Dale falling to Gohar, there was still time for Marchant de Lange to launch a brief, defiant counterattack against the spinner, hitting 14 from three deliveries before he was caught behind.

On a blustery day at the Basin Reserve, the home side’s understanding of the conditions came to the fore

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Jan-2025On a blustery Wellington day, an Antarctic chill blowing in with the southerly, New Zealand’s home advantage may have played a role in their victory. This is what Matt Henry thinks, after his 4 for 19 led the demolition of Sri Lanka’s batting order. Bowling first on a green pitch, New Zealand rolled Sri Lanka over for 178. And yet Sri Lanka’s seamers were unable to exert similar pressure, New Zealand winning by nine wickets, inside 27 overs.Though this is midsummer in New Zealand, the temperature was around 15 degrees Celsius in the morning. And as almost always at the Basin Reserve, there was an end at which the bowlers had to work against a substantial wind. New Zealand understood how to harness these conditions, Henry said.Related

• Henry, Young give New Zealand thumping win in series opener

“It’s probably about understanding ends,” he said. “The wind plays a huge part here at the Basin. That’s the home advantage – knowing what it looks like to attack from both ends, and using the bounce that’s usually available here as well. Thankfully we were able to force some errors and take some wickets.”The first ten overs, at the end of which New Zealand had Sri Lanka 23 for 4, were the definitive period of this match. Henry claimed the first wicket – that of Pathum Nissanka – and Jacob Duffy and Nathan Smith also took wickets in their first spells.Jacob Duffy knocked over Kusal Mendis in the first powerplay•Getty Images

“The way we started with the ball, we were able to create pressure at both ends, and take wickets throughout, which is our key objective as a bowling group,” Henry said. “Any time you get the new ball you want to have an impact on the game. It’s nice to have that success, but you don’t have that without the guys doing the job at the other end as well. Starting with the new ball down-breeze, the way Duffy started and Smith as well – that’s how chances come as well. I thought it was a great team performance.”New Zealand also produced an outstanding fielding effort, with Mark Chapman in particular electric in the point region. The highlight of the fielding performance, however, was Mitchell Santner swooping on a ball from cover to fire in an underhand throw as he dived forward, to hit the single stump he had to aim at. This ran out Kamindu Mendis in the 10th over.”We pride ourselves on our fielding,” Henry said. “With these windy conditions, you can get lost out there. The engagement was brilliant, and we were taking our chances when they came. To have a run-out in the first 10 overs through Mitch Santner, with a great bit of fielding, it really puts a team under pressure and puts momentum in your favour. Little moments like that have a huge impact on the game.”Henry himself has entered a new phase in his career – one in which he makes all three New Zealand teams. For much of the last 10 years, he’d been in the shadows of the likes of Tim Southee, Trent Boult, and Neil Wagner. With all three now retired, Henry is the senior-most bowler around.”It’s great to have that continuity. Playing for New Zealand in all forms is something I’ve wanted to do. I’ve been involved with this group for 10 years now. I love playing for New Zealand.”And though playing all three formats could pose fresh challenges to a fast bowler’s body, Henry is unconcerned.”That’s the beauty of the strength and conditioning coach, who does a great job. We play all year round now, and it’s something that I’ve always done. I’ve played a lot of county cricket as well. It’s probably about understanding your body and how to stay fresh.”

Three-year deal for former Surrey and England captain in first major coaching role

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-2024Adam Hollioake, Surrey’s legendary former captain, has been named as Kent’s new head coach, on a three-year deal that will keep him at Canterbury at least until the end of the 2027 season.He will take over from Matt Walker, who stepped down in September after eight years in the role, with Kent having suffered relegation from Division One of the County Championship, as well as finishing bottom of the South Group of the Vitality Blast.Hollioake, 53, has had limited coaching experience since retiring from playing in 2007, but forged his reputation as an inspirational leader during his time at Surrey, whom he guided to seven trophies, including three County Championships, between 1996 and 2003.He played four Tests for England between 1997 and 1998, as well as 35 ODIs in which his temporary role as captain resulted in a famous tournament victory in Sharjah in 1997-98. His tactical acumen is widely regarded to have been ahead of its time, and he was considered to lead England into the 1999 World Cup, in which he also played.Hollioake’s career was marred by tragedy, when his brother Ben was killed in a car-crash in March 2002, and he drifted away from cricket after retirement. After moving to live in Queensland in 2004, he set up a property company but was soon forced to declare bankruptcy and subsequently forged a brief career as a cage-fighter.Having coached Hong Kong at the 2000 ACC Trophy, he returned to cricket in 2017 as head coach of Boost Defenders in Afghanistan’s Shpageeza Cricket League, a role that he chose to stay on in even after a fatal bomb blast outside the ground in Kabul where his team were playing.This will be Hollioake’s first major head coach role, but he served as an assistant coach at Surrey in 2024, having previously worked as a batting coach for Pakistan, Queensland, and England Lions. He had been lined up by his former Surrey team-mate Graham Thorpe to join the England coaching set-up during the 2021-22 Ashes, but was ruled out after a close contact tested positive for Covid.”I’m honoured to be appointed as the head coach of Kent,” Hollioake said. “It’s an amazing chance for me to work with a great squad of players and to be involved with a county with such a rich history of success.”County Cricket is something that I hold extremely close to my heart, and this is an opportunity that I could not turn down.”Kent’s director of cricket, Simon Cook, said: “Adam has shown throughout his playing and coaching career that he has outstanding leadership qualities and a winning mentality, something that was instrumental in our decision to move in a new direction following our robust and thorough search for a new men’s head coach.”We welcome Adam into the Kent Cricket family and look forward to his leadership of our men’s side going into the new season.”

The left hander will slip down the order for the day-night Test as she continues as wicketkeeper in place of Alyssa Healy

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jan-2025Beth Mooney wants Australia to “show off our skills” during the day-night Ashes Test at the MCG as they aim to complete a miserable tour for England by claiming a 16-0 whitewash.Mooney, who was masterful in the third T20I with an unbeaten 94 off 63 balls, conceded there was an element of disappointment in the fact the Test wasn’t a live contest in terms of the Ashes, but on the flip side hoped that it would allow the team to play with freedom.Related

• Heather Knight has point to prove as Women's Ashes reaches grandest stage

• Healy declares herself fit but not locked in, Dunkley to play but Cross unavailable

• Healy trains strongly ahead of historic Test, Australia delay selection call

• Jon Lewis: Culture, not fitness, at root of Australia's dominance of Women's Ashes

• Mooney 94*, England 90 all out; Australia make it 12-0

“It’s going to be awesome,” Mooney said. “We obviously don’t get to pull on the baggy green too often. The pink ball behaves a little bit differently so that’ll create some challenges. I’m just really looking forward to the spectacle of the game to be honest.”We’re pumped that we’re 12-0 up. It certainly would have been nice if we played the test match while the series was still on the line, maybe earlier in the series, but that wasn’t to be. I think on an individual front and as a group it’s come at a great time for us to basically just show off our skills and really enjoy playing the four-day game.”Mooney confirmed she will bat in the middle order for the Test as she continues to take the wicketkeeping gloves from Alyssa Healy with Australia’s captain working around the clock to try and ensure she can overcome a foot injury to play as a batter. Mooney’s last three Tests have come as an opener but the workload would be too great for her to continue in that role and keep wicket.”I take pride in the fact that I can offer the coaching staff and selection panel different options,” Mooney said. “Whether it’s batting order or behind the stumps or in the field. It’ll be a nice challenge for me wicketkeeping and batting in that middle order role, so looking forward to what that’s going to present and hopefully I’m just warming Midge’s spot for a little while.”Should Healy be fit it leaves Australia with an interesting selection call to make given she has moved down the order in Test cricket in recent years. She would likely have to slot back in at the top alongside Phoebe Litchfield unless the selectors were also able to find room for Georgia Voll.There is one vacancy from when Australia last played a Test, against South Africa at the WACA, with Sophie Molineux out injured. Georgia Wareham could come into the side to partner fellow legspinner Alana King, although the pink-ball factor may bring Megan Schutt into contention as another seamer. Wareham has only played one previous Test, against India in 2021.Ash Gardner is expected to be fit after a calf injury kept her out of the T20I series.

Unbroken 197-run stand with Kane Williamson leaves Northants in the mire

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay22-Jul-2025Middlesex 319 for 1 (Holden 137*, Williamson 88*, Robson 57) vs NorthamptonshireMiddlesex’s Max Holden plundered an unbeaten century as he and New Zealand star Kane Williamson piled up runs on the opening day of their Rothesay County Championship clash against Northamptonshire.Holden, opening to accommodate Williamson’s red-ball debut for the county at number three, batted right through the day for 137, his third ton of the season, with the pair adding an uninterrupted 197 to reach 319 for one at Merchant Taylors’ School.Sam Robson (57) shared a stand of 122 with Holden before Williamson – sampling his first taste of Championship cricket since he featured for Yorkshire in 2018 – weighed in with an unbeaten 88.It was a testing day for Northamptonshire, with Ben Sanderson their only successful bowler after they inserted the hosts in overcast conditions, while Rob Keogh sustained a serious-looking finger injury attempting to catch Williamson’s ferocious drive.With Northamptonshire skipper Luke Procter absent for personal reasons, Lewis McManus took the reins for the first time in red-ball cricket and fulfilled his first duty by winning the toss.However, his bowlers went through the morning session wicketless, despite a tricky opening spell by Sanderson – with Holden taking his time to settle, facing 20 deliveries before he got off the mark with a single.First change Dom Leech struggled for consistency and Robson took advantage to steer him for successive fours as Middlesex picked up the pace, with Holden also unfurling a couple of classy straight drives to the boundary.Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal entered the attack as early as the 15th over, extracting turn as he began with two maidens, but Holden danced down the wicket to take him on, driving and sweeping with confidence.Having reached lunch with 90 on the board, the Middlesex pair advanced their partnership into three figures and Robson won the race to his half-century, pulling Liam Guthrie for two boundaries in an over.But the opener departed in the next, caught behind leg-glancing Sanderson and that slowed the batting side’s progress, although Williamson opened his account with a sweetly-driven cover boundary off Liam Guthrie.Holden moved on to 50 with a swiped hook that flew to the rope, but soon afterwards the left-hander survived a sharp chance to short leg off Chahal – now operating in an all-spin attack alongside Keogh.Displaying exquisite timing and placement, especially on the off side, Williamson mastered the bowling and progressed to his half-century just three balls ahead of Holden’s hundred, courtesy of a back-foot punch for four off Chahal.The Indian spinner returned for another spell earlier than expected after tea, with Keogh forced from the field after making a valiant but unsuccessful attempt to catch Williamson’s rocket drive off his own bowling.Holden pummelled Leech for another four to lift the partnership beyond 150 and, following the last of the day’s three brief rain stoppages, he and Williamson resumed the Middlesex offensive.Williamson cut Saif Zaib to the fence and then lifted his next ball effortlessly over the top for six but, with the new ball due and the light continuing to worsen, the umpires called a halt to proceedings.

Marcus Stoinis takes 2 for 0 to break crucial Superchargers stand between Harry Brook and Graham Clarke

ECB Media10-Aug-2025Trent Rockets beat Northern Superchargers by five wickets at Trent Bridge to continue their 100 percent start to The Hundred this season.In front of their home fans for the first time this campaign, Rockets – who beat Birmingham Phoenix at Edgbaston on Friday – restricted Andrew Flintoff’s Superchargers to 128 for 9 from their 100 balls and won with relative lack of alarm, though Superchargers did well to take the game deep.Runs were perhaps expected given the weather and the manner in which Superchargers women’s team batted in the day’s first game, but on a dry surface the ball gripped and few batters seemed able to bat with much freedom. That meant the Rockets never ran away with the chase but they had enough to see it home with four balls to spare.With the ball, spinners Akeal Hosein and Rehan Ahmed took two wickets apiece for the hosts and never allowed the Superchargers to get going, though it was Australian allrounder Marcus Stoinis who broke the most crucial partnership, that of top-scorer Harry Brook and Graham Clarke, who put on 56. Stoinis would go on to take two wickets in two balls, and conceded no runs from his five balls.It was a similar tale when it was time for Superchargers to defend, with Imad Wasim taking two wickets in two balls, and three overall, and Adil Rashid giving next to nothing away alongside two wickets, but Stoinis and Adam Hose scrambled Trent Rockets home with four balls remaining in front of 13,497 happy home fans.Meerkat Match Hero Akeal Hosein said: “I was grateful for that start [two early wickets] and thankful to be able to put my team in a winning position early on.”I think both ends of the wicket played differently. The top end here where I started off, it was a bit sticky, it gripped a bit, and then when I went on the other end it was a bit low and skiddy, so it’s about just working out what works well at each end and sticking to that plan for as long as possible.”It’s a happy bunch. It’s a talented bunch as well, and we have one goal in mind. Whenever the ball is thrown to us, it’s our opportunity to make it happen for the team. It’s very good to have a good group of bowlers. So even if it doesn’t go your way on that day, you know you’ve got your brothers to cover you.”On the close finish, he added: “I walked across from the dressing room with all confidence. I had no pads on, you know? So that’s the confidence I had in the boys to get over the line. But with that being said, it was closer than we would have liked, but we were glad to get over the line.”

A round-up of the first day’s action from the fifth round of matches from the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

Cricinfo staff03-Nov-2009

Group A

A five-for from Asad Ali helped Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) gain the early advantage against Khan Research Laboratory (KRL) at the KRL Ground. The 21-year-old right-arm paceman bowled with great venom to take out four of the top six KRL batsmen. He was well supported by Mohammad Hafeez who chipped in with three bottom-order wickets to bowl out the hosts for 198. Hafeez then combined well with Naeemuddin to put on an undefeated opening stand of 51 during the reply.The left-arm spin of Mohammad Hussain proved too much for second-from-bottom Lahore Shalimar against Pakistan Customs at the Lahore Country Club. Hussain finished with sublime figures of 6.3-1-7-5 as Lahore folded for 114 in 47.2 overs. Once Tahir Mughal had made the intial inroads, Hussain ran through the middle and lower orders, with Lahore’s wicketkeeper-captain Ali Raza providing the only fight with 25. In reply, Customs lost Jibran Khan early while Asad Baig retired hurt. But they won’t be too troubled at 55 for 1.Uzair-ul-Haq was also on the list of five-wicket hauls for the day as National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) began well against Sui Southern Gas Corporation (SSGC) at the Iqbal Stadium. Uzair did full justice to captain Naumanullah’s decision to field first, accounting for the top five SSGC batsmen. Opener Asif Zakir made a lone fifty as the SSGC innings ended on 182. The NBP openers, Nasir Jamshed and Umar Amin, negotiated the five overs left in the day and took stumps at 19 for no loss.A disciplined effort from the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) seamers helped them bowl out Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) for 138 at the Gaddafi Stadium. The WAPDA scorecard made for uniform reading as fast bowler Aizaz Cheema struck at either ends – removing the openers and taking out the No. 9 and 10 batsmen. Kamran Sajid accounted for the next three to follow after the openers, while Najaf Shah dismissed the next three. Wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed played no small part, plucking out six catches. PIA lost Khurram Manzoor before ending the day on 51 for 1.Zarai Tarqiati Bank Limited‘s (ZTBL’s) right-arm fast bowler Kashif Daud picked up 3 for 85 even as the Habib Bank Limited (HBL) batsmen managed sizeable contributions to maintain the balance in the match at the Marghzar Cricket Ground. Put in to bat, opener Saleem Elahi’s patient 49 proved to be HBL’s top score as Daud dented the middle order. The table-toppers were propped up by a string of thirties from ICL returnee Taufeeq Umar, Kamran Hussain and captain Hasan Raza. But at 232 for 6, the undefeated pair of Abdur Rehman and wicketkeeper Farhan Iqbal will be expected to do more.

Group B

Eighties by Umair Khan and Ashar Zaidi lifted Islamabad to a strong 281 for 5 against Faisalabad at the Diamond Club Ground . The home side openers added 79 and the fourth-wicket stand of 97 took them to a position of strength. Umair made 87 before he was dismissed by Ijaz Ahmed jnr, who took three wickets. Zaidi ended the day in sight og a century with an unbeaten 80.It was a good contest between bat and ball at the National Stadium as Karachi Blues posted 291 but lost eight wickets to Multan. Shahzaib Hasan got the innings off to a brisk start with a 44-ball 48 but his opening partner Ali Asad went on to score a fifty. Asad Shafiq was the top scorer of the day with 67, at No.3, but the middle order failed to convert their starts. Rizwan Haider, the left-arm seamer, and Zulfiqar Babar, the left-arm spinner, shared five wickets between them to pull things back for Multan.At the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground , Hyderabad ended the day on a decent 274 for 6 against Lahore Ravi. The openers, Aqeel Anjum and Sharjeel Khan, laid a strong platform with a stand of 102. Hanif-ur-Rehman, batting at No.4, missed his half-century by a run before he was dismissed by Kasjif Siddiq. Shahid Qambrani and Lal Kumar added 80 for the fifth wicket to prop Hyderabad after they lost two wickets in quick succession.A five-wicket haul by Mohammad Rameez helped Rawalpindi take control against Peshawar at the National Ground in Islamabad. The 19-year-old seamer took four top-order wickets to set Peshawar back. They had lost half their side for 55 and a recovery came in the form of a sixth-wicket stand of 55 between Mohammad Rizwan and Azam Jan, who top scored with 77. Jan got some support from the lower order who helped take the score past 250. Mohammad Ayaz took 3 for 57 while Rameez took another wicket to finish with 5 for 89.Faisal Rasheed’s four-wicket haul led Sialkot‘s opening day domination against Quetta at the Jinnah Stadium. Quetta were initially in control with a second-wicket stand of 78 but the batting began to fall apart. Shoaib Khan jnr top scored with 94 but lacked support from the middle order. Rasheed cleaned up the lower order to finish with 4 for 35. The Sialkot openers added 11 before stumps were drawn.

Two weeks ahead of the Champions Trophy, both teams have an air of vulnerability

Karthik Krishnaswamy05-Feb-20250:52

What will India’s playing XI for the first ODI be?

Big picture: An air of vulnerability in both camps

There are two Indias.There’s the India of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, an India that is, for the moment, scarred and uncertain.There’s also, at the same time, another India, an India of an assuredly post-Rohit, post-Kohli era, an India that has flown to dizzying heights over recent months.There are two Indias, but there are three formats. So where exactly do they stand, as the awkward middle format gets this rare chance in the spotlight? India in ODIs are still the India of Rohit and Kohli, but what does that mean for India, Rohit, and Kohli? There are several questions hanging over India ahead of these three ODIs against England and the Champions Trophy that will follow, but this one, for now, seems the most urgent.Related

• Rohit: Varun 'definitely in contention' for Champions Trophy

• Rohit and Kohli's form in focus; Rahul or Pant as wicketkeeper?

• Sam Curran on omission: 'I've got to keep banging the door down'

• Varun added to India's ODI squad for series against England

India last played ODIs in August, when they lost 2-0 to Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka. It seemed like an anomalous result then, but events that followed it have cast it in a different light. As India return to the 50-over format, then, they find themselves in an odd position. They are still more or less the same team that looked like one of the greatest of all time during their run to the World Cup final in 2023. But even if the players are largely the same, they no longer play together day in and day out, so are they still the same team? And so many of them carry wounds from other battles, bringing to this group a distinct air of vulnerability.But airs of vulnerability – and invincibility – come and go depending on results. India – the other India, admittedly – are fresh off a 4-1 T20I series win, and should count themselves as heavy favourites against an England side that’s coming off that T20I result, and is still trying to find its feet in ODIs after a poor 2023 World Cup.And England, too, are fighting the awkwardness of this middle format. This is still the England of Jos Buttler and Joe Root, but neither played a single ODI in 2024.So here we are, then. The India of Rohit and Kohli versus the England of Buttler and Root, both unsure of where exactly they stand in ODIs, with a major ODI tournament starting in two weeks’ time.

Form guide

India LLTWL (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
England LWLLWJoe Root has been out of England’s ODI side since their league-stage exit from the 2023 World Cup•Michael Steele/Getty Images

In the spotlight: Hardik Pandya and Joe Root

Rohit and Kohli may be under more scrutiny at the moment, but arguably, no player is as important to India’s Champions Trophy hopes as Hardik Pandya is. Until his premature departure from the 2023 World Cup with an ankle injury, Hardik’s presence allowed India to have six bowling options, and gave them the luxury of playing a third frontline seamer or spinner depending on conditions. Hardik hasn’t played an ODI since that tournament, and as the next big one looms, India will hope his body can take a genuine allrounder’s workload once again.He has been out of England’s ODI side since their league-stage exit from the 2023 World Cup, but Joe Root is back, and will bat at No. 3. “He’s one of the great players of the game, in all the formats,” England’s captain Buttler said of Root in his pre-match press conference. “I’m excited to see him in this sort of phase of his career where I look at what he’s done in the Test stuff, where he’s not had the captaincy. He’s sort of back with that cheeky smile on his face, and really enjoying his cricket. I expect him to do exactly the same in this environment.” Apart from the smile, Root will also be expected to bring backbone to a line-up that has sometimes struggled to find the right tempo for 50-over cricket, as England have lost eight or more wickets in seven of their 11 ODIs since the World Cup.KL Rahul or Rishabh Pant? India have a choice to make against England•Getty Images

Team news: England rest Mark Wood

India are expected to line up with their first-choice top six from the 2023 World Cup, with only the wicketkeeper’s slot under debate. Rishabh Pant could potentially come in ahead of KL Rahul thanks to his left-handedness. Meanwhile, Nagpur, with its large outfield and tendency for slow turners, is likely a three-spinner venue, which leaves India to choose two out of their three spin-bowling allrounders to partner Kuldeep Yadav, who returns for the first time since his hernia surgery.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul/Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 and 8 two of Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Mohammed ShamiEngland have named their XI for the series-opener, with Mark Wood rested and Saqib Mahmood partnering Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse in the pace attack. With only four frontline bowlers, part-time spinners Liam Livingstone, Root and Jacob Bethell are expected to shoulder a considerable bowling workload.England: 1 Ben Duckett, 2 Phil Salt (wk), 3 Joe Root, 4 Harry Brook, 5 Jos Buttler (capt), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Jacob Bethell, 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Saqib Mahmood

Pitch and conditions

A clear, sunny day is expected in Nagpur with daytime temperatures in the low 30s. The pitch at the VCA Stadium over recent years has tended to offer a good amount of help to spinners, who also appreciate the long boundaries at this ground. The last three ODIs in Nagpur were all India-Australia contests won by the hosts: a memorable chase of 351 in 2013 powered by one of Kohli’s great hundreds, followed by significantly lower-scoring matches in 2017 and 2019.

Stats and trivia: Virat Kohli on cusp of 14,000

• Both India (2-3) and England (4-7) have negative win-loss records in ODIs since the end of the 2023 World Cup.
• Kohli is 94 runs away from the 14,000-mark in ODIs. Only Sachin Tendulkar (18,426) and Kumar Sangakkara (14,234) have more runs in the format.
• Mohammed Shami is five wickets away from becoming the eighth India bowler to take 200 in ODIs.
• Since the last time they played together, which was at the 2023 World Cup, Buttler has played 23 games for England (three ODIs and 20 T20Is) and Root 17 (all Tests).

Quotes

“World Cup was one and a half years back, so clearly we need to regroup as a group now and think about what we need to do here […] It’s just about coming together now – because it’s been a while since we’ve played this format – it’s just about coming together and trying to [carry on from] where we left [off] during the World Cup. If it takes a little bit of time, so be it. It’s not easy to start what we did in the World Cup.”
“I look back on [the 2023] World Cup, and the two teams in the final were playing a really positive and aggressive brand of cricket. You think of the way Travis Head took that final on with the bat, you see it can be successful. This can be a great part of the world to play that fashion of cricket. Obviously Rohit [Sharma] takes a lot of credit for the way he’s come out and played himself as a captain and pushed India more towards that style of cricket. So, absolutely, we want to do exactly the same. We believe that’s the way that’ll give us the best chance of getting positive results.”

Called up are the uncapped Kamran Ghulam, Haseebullah and spinner Mehran Mumtaz, as well as seasoned spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali

Danyal Rasool13-Oct-2024Pakistan have made big changes to the squad for the second and third Tests against England. In addition to Babar Azam – whose omission ESPNcricinfo reported on Sunday – Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah are also out. A PCB statement said it had “taken into account the current form and fitness of key players” before leaving out the three players for the remaining two Tests.The decision to leave out arguably Pakistan’s three highest-profile players is little short of stunning. Pakistan’s chastening innings defeat after the first Test – following which captain Shan Masood criticised the bowling performance – was expected to result in several changes, though Masood and head coach Jason Gillespie called for continuity and asked players to be backed. However, the newly formed selection committee, announced on Friday, has gone the other way.